Became the Queen of the Legion

「Are you sure it’s a player? Nothing’s showing up for me」

「You bastard, are you lying again? Saying you can’t take a loss alone」

「Shut your trap! This is really serious right now!」

The empty chat room, which could be called their own world, was in chaos due to one person’s outburst.

「Whatever it is, we need to eliminate it immediately. Didn’t you see the reproduction speed of those crazy monsters?!」

The culprit, the player of the Lamias, insisted that they should use all means available right now to eliminate the new species of demonic beasts, the Dark Devils, that appeared from the north.

Claiming that those devils were also a player’s legion.

But the reactions of others were somewhat lukewarm. It couldn’t be helped, as those who were aware of each other’s existence here had already had contact, including clashing with each other once.

Although they weren’t hostile to each other through an agreement to not interfere with each other and cooperate when necessary for their own sake, fundamentally they were in competition with each other like the demon realm lords.

「None of us have reached lord level yet. On the other hand, those monsters have already reached lord level if recognized. In other words, to catch them, we need to move the local lords, which can’t be easy.」

「Those idiots will have to move! If not, they’ll all be devoured by those bastards!」

For them, who didn’t have enough power yet, now was the time to focus on expanding their influence and internal affairs.

The sudden call for all-out war mobilizing all forces was not welcome.

The player of the Lamias, who was barely managing their own soldiers and fleeing, cried out as if frustrated to madness, but while they hesitated, the devils were already in the process of completely capturing even the Lamia territory.

“They betrayed and ran away? Ha.”

“It, it’s true. Really!”

Seira, who had taken off her mask, scoffed upon hearing from Rosalyn, who was prostrating herself and begging, that the player forces had fled.

Regardless, Rosalyn, in an attempt to save at least her life, discarded all pride and repeatedly bowed her head before the legion troops she had dismissed as insects.

“We can’t let them escape. Chase them to the end, Seira.”

The Queen told Seira to leave Rosalyn and lead the main force to pursue immediately.

The original purpose of this war was to eliminate the player forces within the Lamia territory. Even if they destroyed and occupied the entire territory, if they let them escape, it would be tantamount to mission failure.

“Eh…?”

Rosalyn watched cautiously as the legion troops, following the Queen’s orders, all moved at once.

However, the Queen’s order to leave Rosalyn alone wasn’t to spare her.

“Hiiiek! Do-don’t come!”

Countless workers began to cling to Rosalyn and drag her somewhere.

Rosalyn, terrified, resisted desperately, but within the already collapsed territory, there were no longer any soldiers or warriors to protect her.

* * *

‘Although she’s not as reliable as Seira or Kruger, it shouldn’t matter. I can provide everything needed anyway.’

Discovering that Lamia Baron Rosalyn showed talent for mental resonance wasn’t particularly something I had hoped for.

Still, as it seemed to be an uncommon resource, I decided to use it frugally.

Unlike Kruger, since she was captured as a prisoner in an already conquered area, I connected her mind to the colony consciousness without further ado.

“Qu-Qu-Queen…”

“Why are you so scared? You should know by now, that we are one.”

Without needing to explain in words, just by connecting to the colony consciousness, Rosalyn came to know all the truth.

And facing me, the Queen, within this vast consciousness, she trembled, steeped in deep fear.

“I-I-I can’t fight well… Mmph!?”

“It doesn’t matter. I can manipulate your body and mind as I please. So, be reborn as a knight who obediently follows my orders without worry.”

It doesn’t matter if she’s a coward. It doesn’t matter if she’s a pacifist. It doesn’t matter if there are problems with her body, or if her innate talents are poor.

I will create a new body for her, and if necessary, I can correct her mind as well.

Rosalyn’s consciousness struggled with a shocked face, seeing me cover her mouth, but I smirked at the sight.

[It will take time for a new knight to be born]

“Rosalyn is actually just a bonus obtained by chance. That’s not what’s important.”

I watched as Rosalyn’s body dissolved in digestive fluids and was recreated from the cellular level up.

Seira is still pursuing the enemies at this very moment. However, that wasn’t the only problem.

With Orc Baron Zieg and now Lamia Baron Rosalyn successively destroyed by my hand, the neighboring lords have gone into a state of emergency.

“The Lamia territory is already finished. Refugees are moving to surrounding territories, and neighboring territories are hurriedly mobilizing their armies. The war will grow larger. It will never stop.”

“The fight against those crazy monster bastards will continue. So, Kruger, become our new leader! If it’s you, we can fight them!”

The survivors who had withstood the attack of my soldiers and retreated strategically began to go their separate ways as soon as they heard the news of the Lamia territory’s fall.

Among them were many mercenaries who came to Kruger asking to be taken under his command.

They were those who saw potential, believing they could fight if they were with him.

Thanks to this, Kruger’s group suddenly swelled to dozens of members.

Although it was still a small number to reclaim the territory as he wished, considering that the beginning is half the battle, it was quite a significant milestone.

“There will be more than enough work. The devils will never stop. So honestly, I’m tempted to move to another region and operate there. We barely managed to hold out, but those devils are too dangerous.”

At this point, Kruger, with many thoughts, confided his honest feelings to me.

He feared my soldiers, having fought them repeatedly, as if he had glimpsed something they possessed.

“As much as it’s a crisis, it’s also an opportunity.”

I didn’t care which choice he made, so I waited for him to make his own decision.

If he decided to keep fighting in this area, I planned to funnel achievements to him and increase his forces, and if he decided to avoid it, I intended to slowly gather forces and collect information there.

“As you say, it’s also an opportunity. If it weren’t for the last incident, I wouldn’t have gained dozens of comrades in one go.”

As a result, he decided to continue operating here.

After all, there would be an overflow of work needing mercenaries in this area now.

“Attack their nests! If we don’t reduce the nests, there will be no end!”

In fact, the Gargoyles, whose neighboring Lamia territory had collapsed and who now found themselves in immediate danger, immediately sprang into action.

They gathered their elite forces to attack the nests I had been creating and increasing in number here and there.

The Gargoyles, utilizing their mobility, raided my nests, this time having thoroughly prepared for aerial combat unlike before.

When the flying combat troops couldn’t stop them, I had to suffer losses with entire nests being burned and destroyed.

‘I should start establishing a defense system now.’

Although it was just a simple base nest that only harvested and supplied nutrients without production activities, I felt very upset. Even though it was a simple nest that wouldn’t incur losses if lost, it was still essentially a part of my body.

[Are you thinking of creating new soldiers?]

“Should we call them soldiers? Well, artificial wombs and digestive organs are soldiers if you think about it.”

I nodded at the system message’s words.

The soldiers I wanted to create this time were new lifeforms that would take root in the nests, receive nutrients, and act as defense towers, equipped with anti-air capabilities.

However, this time, the basis wasn’t common demonic beasts or demon races.

I was thinking of using a purely plant-based existence, similar to the Sun Flowers that are still growing and supplying nutrients to the entire legion at this very moment.

“Nepenthes.”

Of course, there are carnivorous plants among the demon realm plants.

However, the insects these carnivorous plants devour are not cute and tiny bugs, but huge and powerful demonic beasts of the demon realm, and they have evolved extremely for this purpose.

“Increase the size and strengthen the poison gas.”

Nepenthes, which fires condensed massive poison gas like a shell and extends tentacles to pull in enemies, was one such demonic plant.

I intended to increase its size to be as big as a house, further strengthen the poison gas of the projectiles it fires, and plant them in the nests.

Then they would be able to repel enemies who came to attack the nests or hold out until allied reinforcements arrive.

‘To check if they’re well-made, I need to test them directly.’

Since all unnecessary organs were removed from the Nepenthes as well, they will die immediately if they don’t receive nutrients directly through tentacles from the nest. In other words, to fight properly, we have no choice but to wait for the enemies to invade.